Baltic Sea nature is threatened by eutrophication, pollution and climate change. The Roadmap for the development of marine protected area network in Finland until 2030, which was drawn up in cooperation between a number of organisations, presents 34 actions for improving the status of the Baltic Sea, safeguarding the most valuable marine areas and achieving international conservation area targets. Never before has an equally extensive and comprehensive plan for the conservation of marine nature been drawn up in Finland.

The key action of the Roadmap relate to how existing protected areas can safeguard underwater biodiversity more effectively and how the network of protected areas could be expanded to cover the most valuable marine areas. The plan also contains proposals for establishing the first strict marine nature reserve in Finland as well as for protecting fish breeding areas and paying particular attention to geological diversity.

Protected areas support the conservation of marine nature

The most serious threats to the Baltic Sea are eutrophication, pollution and climate change. They impair the ecological status of the sea and cause large-scale biodiversity loss. While key measures for improving the status of the sea include reducing emissions of nutrients and harmful substances, measures taken in the catchments alone are not enough.

The sea is also affected by additional pressures, which include construction and other types of seabed interventions. In this regard, regional protection is the most effective way of safeguarding biodiversity. The current legislation does not sufficiently protect underwater nature. This is why the Roadmap also proposes legislative amendments and new solutions that to better account for ecological integrity, connectivity and functional diversity.

Key actions presented

  • Expanding the current network of protected areas and strengthening the protection of existing areas
  • Establishing Finland’s first strict marine nature reserve
  • Creating a conservation programme for privately owned marine areas based on voluntary protection
  • Addressing issues of fairness in the planning of protection
  • Putting in place tailored fishing restrictions to protect breeding areas
  • Restoring habitats and safeguarding underwater biodiversity, including geological diversity

The Roadmap is based on an extensive assessment of the current state of marine conservation and over 200,000 observations from the Finnish Inventory Programme for Underwater Marine Diversity (Velmu).

Benefits for humans and nature

“Preventing degradation of nature is always cheaper than restoring the environment afterwards. This is why marine conservation must also be proactive,” says Markku Viitasalo, Research Professor at the Finnish Environment Institute.

Currently, only 11% of Finland’s marine areas have been protected. The EU Biodiversity Strategy and the objectives of the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission (HELCOM) require a significant increase in marine protected areas.

”To achieve the targets, the share of protected areas needs to be increased to 30% of the sea area. One third of this must be strictly protected,” says Lasse Kurvinen, Senior Specialist, Conservation at Metsähallitus Parks & Wildlife Finland.

More protected areas are essentially needed to create an ecologically comprehensive and well-connected conservation network. Marine conservation is an investment in both biodiversity and human well-being.

”Conservation is not just for nature. Improving the status of the marine environment also benefits people, as it builds up fish stocks and improves opportunities for recreation,” points out Penina Blankett, Ministerial Adviser at the Ministry of the Environment, who led the Roadmap preparation.

The Roadmap was produced in cooperation between experts from several organisations as part of the Biodiversea LIFE IP project, which is Finland’s largest cooperation project on safeguarding Baltic Sea biodiversity. The Roadmap was drawn up by the Ministry of the Environment, Finnish Environment Institute, Metsähallitus Parks & Wildlife Finland, Government of Åland, Geological Survey of Finland, Natural Resources Institute Finland, Turku University of Applied Sciences, Åbo Akademi University and Baltic Sea Action Group.

All proposals for actions in the Roadmap can be found in a recent publication titled Suomen merensuojelualueverkoston kehittämisen tiekartta vuoteen 2030 : Kohti vaikuttavaa meriluonnon suojelua

Biodiversea LIFE-IP – Finland’s largest project focusing on marine nature

Biodiversea (2021–2029) is the largest collaborative project carried out in Finland to safeguard biodiversity in the Baltic Sea. It is co-funded by the European Union’s LIFE programme and coordinated by Metsähallitus Parks & Wildlife Finland. Other participants are Ministry of the Environment, Finnish Environment Institute, Natural Resources Institute Finland, Åland Islands Regional Government, Turku University of Applied Sciences, Åbo Akademi University, Geological Survey of Finland and Baltic Sea Action Group. The project has a budget of about EUR 20 million.

Additional information

Markku Viitasalo, Research Professor, Finnish Environment Institute, [email protected], tel.+358 295251742

Lasse Kurvinen, Senior Specialist, Conservation, Metsähallitus Parks & Wildlife Finland, [email protected]; tel.+ 358 40 6318 029

PeninaBlankett, Ministerial Adviser, Ministry of the Environment,[email protected], tel.+358 (0)295 250058

Maija Häggblom, Nature Conservation Officer, Åland Islands Regional Government, [email protected], tel. +358 18 25 458

Attached images: Essi Keskinen/Metsähallitus, Floriaan Evelens Marse/Metsähallitus. The images may be published freely only in connection with this news.

Link to the publication in Finnish http://hdl.handle.net/10138/603881

Penina Blankett, Markku Viitasalo, Lasse Kurvinen, Anna Arnkil, Charlotta Björklund, Louise Forsblom, Maija Häggblom, Kim Jaatinen, Niko Kallio, Anu Kaskela, Anna Klemelä, Lauri Kuismanen, Sanna Kuningas, Antti Lappalainen, Joona Lehtomäki, Olli Loisa, Markku Mikkola-Roos, Liisa Nevalainen, Mari Pohja-Mykrä, Annukka Rasinmäki, Aino Rekola, Anu Riihimäki, Liisa Saikkonen, Sonja Salovius-Laurén, Riku Varjopuro, Wilma Viljanmaa, Elina A. Virtanen, Karl Weckström:
Suomen merensuojelualueverkoston kehittämisen tiekartta vuoteen 2030 : Kohti vaikuttavaa meriluonnon suojelua